The first couple of weeks of the new year have not been very typical. I started the year with a cold, that turned into an infection and left me with a pain in my side. Needless to say, it hasn't helped me in support of any of my goals for the year.
One nice thing is that my goals for this year are primarily a continuation of the activities started last year. I want to continue to prepare nutritious and flavorful meals for the family, maintain a regular workout routine, and hopefully, as a result be healthier and with any luck, lose some weight along the way.
Hormel has provided some suggestions on you can set a resolution to challenge yourself in the kitchen this year:
New Year’s Resolution: Challenge Yourself in the Kitchen
Did you know that 45% of Americans make resolutions each year – but only 8% actually achieve them? This year, instead of making resolutions, try setting realistic goals. Joan Hanson, Hormel Foods Test Kitchen Director has provided the top five tips to help you get started with reaching your mealtime goals this year:
1. Try at least one new, quick and easy, family-friendly recipe each week (check out Hormel Foods’ recipe ideas on Pinterest and Facebook for ideas!)
2. Put ‘family dinner’ on the schedule at least three times a week and commit to those days as a way to connect with your spouse and children.
3. Incorporate at least three food groups into each meal, such as meat, dairy, and a vegetable
4. Get the whole family involved – whether it’s cooking or cleaning, making it a team effort will ease stress and make it fun!
5. Try to meal plan at least one week each month – it means fewer trips to the grocery store (and less impulse spending) and no uncertainty about what’s for dinner.
As I check out these challenges, I am happy to report that they are all part of my routine.
This week, my menu plan included five new recipes actually. That is a little heavy on new, but sometimes you just need something new. (so far they have all been keepers). So, I guess I am over-achieving on #1.
We eat dinner as a family close to 7 nights a week. It has alwasy been a priority and a goal of mine. As we get busier with sports, it gets more challenging and sometimes it is only 3 out of 4 of us sitting down together...but we still sit down. Having dinner together most days can be a challenge, but with creative menu planning and some prep work, it can be done. Sure, it means that sometimes we at 5 pm and sometimes we eat at 7 pm, but we are flexible that way.
I suppose that three food groups might be the one that I sometimes miss. I'm usually good at dinnertime and for packed/purchased lunches. but it is more of a challenge at breakfast or a weekend lunch.
Generally, I handle meal preparation. Even on the nights that my husband starts dinner, I generally do the prep work and he just has to start it. The kids are in charge of helping to get things set up for dinner. Then after dinner, they take their plates to the sink and clean up the crumbs on the floor at their seat.
Meal planning is part of my routine for several reasons, which I discussed here.
Did you make New Year’s resolutions this year? If so, did any of them involve your cooking goals? What is your number one cooking goal for this year?
No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. As a Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger, I received suggestions and information from Hormel for this post.
